Simplicity Prayer
Father, teach me the freedom of devotion,the power of simplicity,
the peace of an undivided heart,and the joy of wanting only one
thing!
The Prayer of St Craig of Hilton
But the truth is...
• You are always giving away something that is not yours!
• Your Father wants you to use the very gifts He gave in the first place!
Cheerful Giving...
• Cheerful giving to God is always the fruit of loving Him.
• God doesn’t want or need your money – He wants your heart.
Made in His Image... Matthew 22
You give according to the likeness and image you want
to reveal and represent.
Interdependent Truth
• Work Gloriously• Wait Patiently• Live Simply• Give Generously
• Celebrate Communally
Leviticus 23
• Sabbath Rest - Chill & Feast• Passover - Feast• Firstfruits - Feast• Harvest - Feast• Trumpets - Music• Atonement - Total Fast• Tabernacles - Camp & Feast
Rites of Passage
• Life - Dedication• Maturity - Coming of age• Faith - Baptism• Love - Marriage• Legacy - Death
You can’t miss it
Using money for God does not only include:
• productivity • saving• simplicity • generosity
• but also celebrating!
Luke 14
12 Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
Luke 14
13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’
Freely give and receive...
• Accept gifts and don’t feel obligated to return them.
• Give gifts and don’t feel entitled to anything from them.
• Don’t exploit the charismata of giving or hospitality!
Creative Thinking
• Our previous church built a 250 seater church building and paid off all debt in less than 5 years.
We moved in... • without ceilings or carpets or paint
on the walls (live simply/ wait patiently)
• increased our monthly payments to the bank ahead of the required amount
• took interest free loans from within the congregation (give generously)
Within Five Years...
• we had painted, carpeted, fitted a proper kitchen, put ceilings in and paid off the bank and our members’ loans (work gloriously).
It was so much fun...
• and had such a sense of momentum that a family even donated an additional 100m2 for the youth venue (celebrate communally).
We celebrated
• Every November we invited the whole church to a spit braai / 3 course meal and would not let anyone pay for themselves...
New People were...
• Always surprised by how the whole vibe and spirit was one of generosity and not need.
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